


Shifting Sands

by Yaasqueen_K



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Additional Tags on Request, Affection, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Good Ganondorf, M/M, Male Slash, Polyamory, Private Display of Affection, Sexual Relations, Size Difference, Tags Are Hard, kind of based off of BotW
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-28 09:47:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12603856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yaasqueen_K/pseuds/Yaasqueen_K
Summary: There's Ganondorf the Chief, strongest of all the Gerudo and the king of the wastelands. He is known for his ferocity on the battlefield and his inhuman strength is a blessing from the goddesses themselves. He rules the desert with an iron fist and his people with an impersonal touch.But behind the silk curtains? Ganondorf the lover is a much different person.





	Shifting Sands

**Author's Note:**

> Link is about 20 years old in this story. The setting is loosely based off of Breath of the Wild.

The sun bore down on the Gerudo wastelands, a cruel and unforgiving mistress to the denizens who were brave enough to call the sands their home. The inhabitants could be just as cruel and deadly as a fierce heatstroke – lizalfos camouflaged themselves, blending into the sand to wait for an unlucky merchant to pass their way, hardy, barely-clothed moblins traveled in packs to overcome any unfortunate to come their way, and most infamously, the Gerudo. Theirs was a tribe of steel and grit, known only to the rest of Hyrule as a fierce group of warrior women who were as beautiful as they were deadly. Though typically peaceful towards the other groups that inhabited Hyrule, the Gerudo were forced to combat the hardy creatures of the desert to protect their jeweled oasis, Gerudo Town.

One such creature erupted from the sand, emitting a high-pitched screech as it breached the surface. “Now!” Volleys of bomb arrows flew from two Gerudo women being towed by sand seals that matched the red of their long flowing hair. Their eyes were locked onto the fearsome beast known as a molduga, intent on stunning it before it could descend back into the sands. Watching from a nearby rock formation were two men. One of them was Link, a young Hylian man whose blue eyes watched the molduga as it fell to the ground, arrow after arrow exploding against its tough hide. The armor he wore only protected his right arm where his shield was strapped over it; he wore no other armor than that. His sandy blond hair was pulled back into a short ponytail that sat near the top of his head and with a sword in his left hand, he stood posed to strike at any time.

Next to him was a much more imposing man, an impressive and intimidating figure to behold. He was Ganondorf, chief of the Gerudo and a legend from the day he was born. Gerudo women already stood over most, while nearly matching the Goron in terms of musculature but Ganondorf surpassed them all. He dwarfed the young Hylian at his side and his golden eyes were as wild as the near-unending sandstorms that plagued areas of the wasteland. He kept his long fiery hair in a thick ponytail as was usual of the women and much like the other man, he too wore simple armor on both arms while keeping his chest bare. His dark skin glistened with sweat and in either hand, he gripped a great sword of onyx that was just as intimidating as he was. Only a man of his size and strength could ever hope to even lift those swords.

“Steady, Link.” Though his voice was low and soft, he growled through his grit teeth. Most creatures knew to respect Ganondorf’s strength, which easily established him at the top of the food chain. But there were a few foolish exceptions who thought they knew better, who thought that they could topple the chief and his city down. It was Ganondorf’s job to teach them a painful lesson that they would never forget.

Remember your training. Do not let your anxiety get the better of you. Stay on the rock until he tells you to go. Do not move. _Breathe_. Link’s mind whipped quickly like a blast of arid desert air. Ganondorf was counting on him to do the right thing, to step in time with every beat in combat, to help him show the wastelands who was _chief_. How did he do it? Ganondorf looked so fierce yet so collected as though he could easily control the sandstorm in his heart. It was here that the chief felt the most alive – in the heat of battle against a formidable opponent under the blazing sun. Link knew Ganondorf wouldn’t have it any other way. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face as he let out a heavy exhale. With how tense every second felt, breathing was the most difficult, oppressive thing he ever did.

Seconds passed like eternity. How much harder could he grip his sword and shield? He could feel Ganondorf bristling next to him and he knew the seconds were starting to weigh on the great sand chief as well. The guards did not relent in their assault, arrow after arrow hitting their mark and exploding against the molduga.

And just as the molduga was about to fall upon the sands, stunned by the guards’ arrows, Link knew it was time before Ganondorf even shouted, “GO!”. Both men leapt off the rock with weapons in hand and barreled blindly towards the massive creature, where its soft underbelly lay exposed to them. Slash after slash shredded the creature as time began to speed up around them. On the other side, the guards continued to shoot arrows at the creature’s head to buy the men more time.

“Link!” Before he knew it, Link felt himself getting yanked back by his armor strap just in time to avoid getting skewered by the end of a lizalfos’ spear. Link stumbled to his feet, a little dazed but none worse for the wear, as he watched Ganondorf deflect a thrown boomerang from a second lizalfos some distance away. “Fovani! Omeke! Cover us! Link, get back!” Ganondorf barked orders as though it was second nature, his eyes burning madly. “ _Go_!” He urged Link when he seemingly froze in place.

Link didn’t need a third warning. As the two Gerudo guards closed in on their sand seals, regular arrows posed to distract the lizalfos, Link scrambled away, sword sheathed to help with sprinting through the scorching sands. Sweat covered his body and made grains of sand stick to him but that was the least of his problems. The molduga would soon come to and it would _not_ be happy with the two men who were making cuts in its belly. He sprinted and did not look back, nearly running head first into the rock that he was heading for. His fingers found grips in the formation and he climbed as fast as he could to the top. Once he was safe only then did he take the time to watch Ganondorf. Despite his size, he was quick enough to keep up with the nimble lizalfos. Link could only cry out in alarm when the spear-wielding one discharged a dome of lightning. Ganondorf barely dodged it, just in time for the molduga to flip itself right. Fovani and Omeke retreated to a safe distance as it curled its tail inwards. Trapped between the lizalfos and the large molduga, Ganondorf braced himself as the molduga spun itself wildly against the sands, letting its cracked, leathery skin scratch against his blades. While the lizalfos went flying, Ganondorf held his own, using his swords as a shield to protect him from the raging molduga.

Now free to run, Ganondorf quickly turned heel and bolted towards the same rock Link ran to while the molduga partially buried itself and started to rampage, thrashing wildly at anyone and anything. Link let out a breath of relief as he helped Ganondorf up to safety and the two could only watch the angry creature. Fovani and Omeke circled as well, waiting for the perfect opportunity to restart their volley assault. While Link’s breathing was haggard, Ganondorf was only now starting to show signs of wear, his chest visibly rising and falling. It was still a steady rhythm though for a man who just took a molduga tail at full force.

Though blinded by rage, it seemed to know just where to go and headed straight for the rock the two men were standing on. “Move! MOVE!” Ganondorf was first to leap off the rock with Link following at a close second, struggling to keep up with the taller man. He heard the rock behind him crumble as the molduga smashed into it but then heard a familiar croaking sound to his right. He raised his shield just in time to deflect an arrow from a lizalfos who had just recovered from its flight and scampered after them as well. Focus. Focus on Ganondorf. Follow him. He knows where he’s going. But stay alert. These lizards weren’t going down without a fight.

As he neared the larger rock formation that Ganondorf ran to, he saw the man yelling and gesturing for him to hurry up. Don’t think about how much pain you’re in. Just run. Being in pain is better than dying. Go. Go. GO. Link leapt for the rock and started to climb, trembling fingers grasping at the rock face. Ganondorf, who had him by the hand, pulled him up just in time to avoid a spear into his leg. “Damn it, boy. Don’t cut it so close next time.” Link could barely process the other’s scolding words when the sand erupted again, this time much closer to him. The force that the molduga emerged with caught the both of them off guard and nearly blew them off. Through squinted eyes, Link saw the two lizalfos that were pursuing them go flying and fell into the voracious maw of the sand creature with a bloody snap. “Now! Now!” Fovani and Omeke frantically loosed their arrows on Ganondorf’s command, the frenzied creature weakened. Everything seemed to happen a little quicker this time and with much less arrows. “Link, get ready!” Ganondorf told him, already running for the opposite edge of the rock. Link unsheathed his sword and obediently followed, his body running on pure adrenaline and instinct.

The two of them leapt off, one after the other, just in time for the molduga to fall with an explosion of sand. Ganondorf was the first to hit the ground, blades already ripping through the molduga. It was getting weaker and its cries more in pain. Link soon followed, blade pointed downwards so that it could pierce its hide and with that, the molduga gave one last shrill cry and a few death throes before it finally lay still under the baking sun.

Now it was time to catch their breath. Ganondorf was of course steadier as he sheathed his blades and released a slow and steady exhale. He wiped the sweat off of his brow with the back of his hand and flagged down the two guards to come in closer. “Are you alright?” He asked in the meantime and looked up to where Link had collapsed onto his bottom, knees failing him. His sword was still embedded in the molduga, likely piercing a vital organ which caused the creature’s demise. He looked down to the Gerudo man and managed a wide grin and a nod. So typical of the boy, able to smile after such a harrowing, exhausting ordeal. When hunting molduga, Ganondorf brought along only the most elite of guards and those who returned with him were normally given leave to rest and recover. Link too would likely need a few days as well but none of them were able to look him in the eye and give him so much as a small smile.

When the two women arrived, he regarded them with a nod, “Harvest what you can. The apothecaries in town can make use of the guts and fins. Any meat too will suffice. A celebration should be had tonight.” The two women regarded Link warmly as they dismounted from their shields. “With the molduga gone, the lizalfos in the area will likely lose their nerve for a while. Leave the carcass so they can see what we’ve done today.” Link slowly rose to his feet, deciding to leave the sword embedded. He could get a new one in town anyway. “Let’s go, Link. Looks like you need to rest.” He wasn’t so sure but… he saw a hint of concern flash in Ganondorf’s eyes before the man turned to call his own sand seal to return back to town. His smile only widened as he slid off the molduga and called his own, leaving the two guards to harvest what they could and followed Ganondorf back with pride swelling in his chest.


End file.
